Apparatus for matting glass slides

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for matting glass slides of the type used to carry specimens to be observed under a microscope, for example. The apparatus includes a conveyor belt having an upper run for moving the slides from a receiving end of the upper run to a discharge end thereof. At the receiving end of the upper run of the conveyor belt is a chute for supplying the slides to the belt with the slides each projecting by a predetermined distance laterally beyond a side edge of the upper run. Between the ends of the upper run of the conveyor belt is a pressure roller made of a soft elastic material for pressing against each slide as the latter moves beneath each pressure roller between the latter and the upper run of the conveyor belt. In alignment with this pressure roller, beyond the side edge of the upper run of the belt, is a high-speed grinding element situated to engage a surface of each slide as it moves beneath the pressure roller. At the discharge end of the belt is a receiving receptacle to which the ground slides are automatically delivered.

United States Patent Menzel Primary Examiner-Harold D WhiteheadAttorne-yBlum, Moscovitz, Friedman & Kaplan [57] ABSTRACT An apparatusfor matting glass slides of the type used to carry specimens to beobserved under a microscope, for example. The apparatus includes aconveyor belt having an upper run for moving the slides from a receivingend of the upper run to a discharge end thereof. At the receiving end ofthe upper run of the conveyor belt is a chute for supplying the slidesto the belt with the slides each projecting by a predetermined distancelaterally beyond a side edge of the upper run. Between the ends of theupper run of the conveyor belt is a pressure roller made of a softelastic material for pressing against each slide as' the latter movesbeneath each pressure roller between the latter and the upper run of theconveyor belt. ln alignment with this pressure roller, beyond the sideedge of the upper run of the belt, is a high-speed grinding elementsituated to engage a surface of each slide as it moves beneath thepressure roller. At the discharge end of the belt is a receivingreceptacle to which the ground slides are automatically delivered.

Jan. 25, 1972 PMENIEnms-mz 335361563 F/G.l

GERHARD MENZEL ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR MATTING GLASS SLIDES BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the manufacture ofglass slides of the type used for carrying specimens which are observed,for example, beneath a microscope.

In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus forproviding articles of this general type with matted surface areas. Suchmatted surface areas are desirable for the purpose of rendering suchareas of the glass slide capable of receiving marks from a suitablewriting instrument. If the surface area is not matted, it is notpossible to write on the glass.

At the present time glass slides with matted areas are available.However in order to provide such glass slides it is necessary to subjectthem either to an etching treatment or to sandblasting. Both of theseknown methods are expensive and, where acids are required, there is theadditional disadvantage of use of relatively dangerous materials inconnection with the treatment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an apparatus capable of manufacturing glassslides having matted areas while at the same time avoiding the abovedrawbacks.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatuswhich will operate very reliably to achieve glass slides which havematted areas of a preselected magnitude located at preselected portionsof the glass slides.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus ofthis type which is automated to such an extent that it is possible for asingle operator to carry out all of the operations necessary to achievethe desired glass slides.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatusof the above general type which requires an operator only to supplyglass slides to and to remove finished glass slides from the apparatus.

According to the invention the apparatus includes a conveyor belt havingan upper run for moving the slides from a receiving to a discharge endof the belt, and a supply means is situated at the receiving end of thebelt for supplying thereto glass slides in a position extending througha given extent beyond a side edge of the upper run of the belt. Betweenthe ends of the belt there is a pressure roller of a soft elasticmaterial which presses each glass slide against the upper run of thebelt as each glass slide moves beneath this pressure roller. Inalignment with the pressure roller, beyond the edge of the belt, is ahigh-speed grinding element situated in the path of movement of thesurface of the slide as it moves beneath the pressure roller, so as toengage this surface and grind the latter, rendering the surface mattedin this way. Each glass slide which has been treated in this mannercontinues to progress automatically toward the discharge end of theupper run of the conveyor belt, and at this discharge end is a receivingmeans which receives the glass slides which reach the discharge end ofthe conveyor belt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings which form part of this applicationand in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of an apparatus according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, there isshown therein an endless conveyor belt 1 having an upper run providedwith a left receiving end and a right discharge end, as viewed in thedrawings. Over the left receiving end of the upper run of the conveyorbelt 1 is a supply means 2 in the form of a chute or elongated hollowtube having an upper open end through which slides can be introducedinto the guide tube or chute 2. This supply means has a configurationcorresponding to that of the glass slides, and it is supported by anysuitable unillustrated frame work in a manner which enables the supplymeans to be laterally adjusted as indicated by the double headed arrowshown at the upper left portion of FIG. 2. In this way the extent towhich the supply means 2 extends beyond the edge of the belt 1 shown atthe lower part thereof in FIG. 2 can be regulated. The distance of thebottom end of the supply means 2 from the upper surface of the upper runof the belt] is such that the movement of the upper run of the belt, byfrictional engagement with the bottom surface of each slide, results indisplacement of the slides one by one out of the bottom end of the tubeor chute which forms the supply means 2. Thus, in accordance with theadjustment of this supply means each glass slide will be transported bythe upper run of the belt 1 from the receiving end toward the dischargeend thereof with a predetermined portion of each glass slide extendinglaterally beyond the side edge of the belt 1 as explained above.

At the delivery end of the belt 1 is a receiving means 3 in the form ofa container having an open top and providing at its left wall, as viewedin FIGS. 1 and 2, with a curved portion 3a which extends around theupper right portion of the belt 1 at the discharge end thereof. Thiswall 3a terminates in a springy tongue 3b which directly engages thesurface of the belt 1 at its discharge end and at its upper run for thepurpose of positive removing the slides 6 therefrom as the slides reachthe discharge end of the upper run of the belt 1.

In the illustrated example the upper run 10 of the belt 1 moves beneatha pair of driven pressure rollers 4 made of a soft elastic material suchas, for example, foam rubber.

High-speed grinding elements 5 are situated beyondthe edge of the belt 1shown at the lower part of FIG. 2. hese grinding elements 5 are, in theillustrated example, in the form of endless grinding belts, and they arecarried by suitable pulleys and driven through any suitable drive. Thesoft pressure rollers 4 also may be independently driven, although theycan turn simply from frictional engagement with the belt 1 or the slides6 thereon.

As is illustrated in FIG. 1, it is possible to situate opposite theupper grinding belts 5 a pair of identical grinding belts 5a the upperends of which are spaced beneath the lower ends of the belts 5 by adistance equal to the thickness of the slides 6. For this purpose theupper and/or lower grinding belts 5, 5a can be adjustable in elevation,and these lower belts 5a can also be driven in any suitable way so as toform the high-speed grinding elements.

The slides 6 delivered from the supply means 2 by movement of the belt 1with respect thereto reach the pair of pressure rollers 4 so as to besuccessively pressed thereby against the upper surface of the upper runof the conveyor belt I.

While each slide is pressed against the belt 1 by a pressure roller 4,an exterior surface of each slide is ground by a belt 5 and/or 5a. It isthus possible to grind an upper surface and/or a lower surface of eachslide at a selected location over an area determined by the width of thehigh-speed grinding elements 5, 5a. Thus, the location of the mattedportion of each slide will be determined by the extent to which thesupply means 2 extends laterally beyond the side edge of the conveyorbelt 1.

The slides which are matted on one or both sides reach the removingtongue 3b of the receiving means 3 to be removed thereby and guidedalong the curved wall 3a into the container which forms the receivingmeans 3. After the latter has been filled to the desired extent it canbe removed, and for this purpose it may be supported on any suitablerollers or the like so that it can be laterally moved away and replacedby an empty receptacle.

The entire apparatus operates automatically and because of itsconstruction is absolutely reliable. It is possible for only one personto be present during the entire operations, and such a person isrequired only to fill the supply means 2 with slides which are to bematted ans to remove container 3 when it has been filled to a givenextent. Thus, at predetermined moments such an operator will be requiredonly to supply new slides and remove matted slides from the apparatus.The transversely movable container 3, after it is removed from thelocation at the discharge end of the belt 1, can transport the articlesto any desired location, as to suitable packing installations.

Thus, according to the method of the invention the matted surface of theglass slide is achieved by grinding the glass slide, so that in this waydisadvantages inherent in etching or sandblasting are avoided. Also, thearticle of the invention result ing from grinding of the surface of theglass slide provides the article with a matted appearance where theground surface of the article is vastly superior to the surfaceresulting from conventional etching and sandblasting.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for matting selected areas of glass slides, aconveyor belt having an upper run for conveying the slides which movewith said upper run in a given direction from a receiving end to adischarge end thereof, supply means situated over said receiving end ofsaid upper run for supplying thereto glass slides positioned on saidupper run with portions of said slides extending laterally beyond a sideedge of said upper run of said belt, a rotary pressure roller of soft,elastic material engaging said upper run between said ends thereof foryieldably pressing against said upper run a portion of each slide, as itmoves beneath said pressure roller, at least one high-speed grindingelement having a grinding surface parallel to said upper run of saidconveyor belt, said grinding element being laterally aligned with saidpressure roller and situated beyond said side edge of said belt alongthe path of movement of a surface of that part of each slide which isparallel to said upper run of said belt and extends beyond said edge ofsaid belt for grinding each slide at a part of said surface thereof asit moves beneath said pressure roller, and receiving means situated atsaid discharge end of said upper run of said belt for receiving theground slides therefrom.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said grinding element isitself in the form of an endless grinding belt.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said receiving means is in theform of a container removably situated at said discharge end of saidbelt.

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of saidpressure rollers and a pair of said grinding elements respectivelyaligned therewith for successively engaging each slide as it is conveyedby said upper run of said belt toward said discharge end thereof.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of saidgrinding elements situated one over the other and spaced from each otherby a distance corresponding to the thickness of each slide forsimultaneously grinding each slide at its opposed surfaces while eachslide moves beneath said pressure roller.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said supply means is laterallyadjustable for determining the extent to which each slide extends beyondsaid edge of said upper run of said conveyor belt.

7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said receiving means is in theform of a receptacle for receiving the ground slides, said receptaclehaving a wall extending in part around said belt at said discharge endthereof and terminating in a springy tongue engaging said belt at saiddischarge end thereof for removing the ground slides from said belt.

1. In an apparatus for matting selected areas of glass slides, aconveyor belt having an upper run for conveying the slides which movewith said upper run in a given direction from a receiving end to adischarge end thereof, supply means situated over said receiving end ofsaid upper run for supplying thereto glass slides positioned on saidupper run with portions of said slides extending laterally beyond a sideedge of said upper run of said belt, a rotary pressure roller of soft,elastic material engaging said upper run between said ends thereof foryieldably pressing against said upper run a portion of each slide, as itmoves beneath said pressure roller, at least one high-speed grindingelement having a grinding surface parallel to said upper run of saidconveyor belt, said grinding element being laterally aligned with saidpressure roller and situated beyond said side edge of said belt alongthe path of movement of a surface of that part of each slide which isparallel to said upper run of said belt and extends beyond said edge ofsaid belt for grinding each slide at a part of said surface thereof asit moves beneath said pressure roller, and receiving means situated atsaid discharge end of said upper run of said belt for receiving theground slides therefrom.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein saidgrinding element is itself in the form of an endless grinding belt. 3.The combination of claim 1 and wherein said receiving means is in theform of a coNtainer removably situated at said discharge end of saidbelt.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of saidpressure rollers and a pair of said grinding elements respectivelyaligned therewith for successively engaging each slide as it is conveyedby said upper run of said belt toward said discharge end thereof.
 5. Thecombination of claim 1 and wherein there are a pair of said grindingelements situated one over the other and spaced from each other by adistance corresponding to the thickness of each slide for simultaneouslygrinding each slide at its opposed surfaces while each slide movesbeneath said pressure roller.
 6. The combination of claim 1 and whereinsaid supply means is laterally adjustable for determining the extent towhich each slide extends beyond said edge of said upper run of saidconveyor belt.
 7. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said receivingmeans is in the form of a receptacle for receiving the ground slides,said receptacle having a wall extending in part around said belt at saiddischarge end thereof and terminating in a springy tongue engaging saidbelt at said discharge end thereof for removing the ground slides fromsaid belt.